


Reunited Peverells

by WampusRoar13



Series: Peverell Lines Run Deep [9]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abusive Dursley Family (Harry Potter), Baby Harry Potter, F/M, Intentional Baby Acquisition, M/M, Multi, Rescuing Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:56:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29612535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WampusRoar13/pseuds/WampusRoar13
Summary: James Potter risks self imposed exorcism in the afterlife to save his son. Baby Harry is rescued from the Dursley and reunited with his family. And the Deathly Trio see what life would have been like if they raised their grandson together, rather than trying to hide him out in the muggle world.
Relationships: Aberforth Dumbledore/Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore/Original Percival Graves, Albus Dumbledore/Original Percival Graves/Gellert Grindelwald, Original Percival Graves/Gellert Grindelwald, Orion Black/Aberforth Dumbledore, Sirius Black/Narcissa Black Malfoy
Series: Peverell Lines Run Deep [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1467184
Comments: 24
Kudos: 50
Collections: Harry Potter FFs





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In an effort to make up for yesterday here's much cuteness.

Prologue: Peverell Lines Prologue

_ September 1974 _

“How did he manage to get you all kicked out this time?”

“Set a cretin gnome loose on the heartless btich’s house elf while he was serving tea. Only took him three days to execute; he’s getting pretty good at it.”

“What did Abby say?”

“He scolded him for causing trouble; after she cursed him the other month I was worried too… But, he laughed his ass off once the boys went upstairs.”

“She didn’t?” The Director hissed nastily.

Orion saw two secretaries, where they were entering the small room that housed the elevators, quickly turning on their heels to vacate the space with the angry vampire. He said nothing, not feeling his friend should have to be self conscious for cowardly individuals, “She did. I threatened her to within an inch of her life, but it makes me terrified to go to work every other week. Reggie’s gotten good at flying under her radar, but Sirius… You know how he is, Perce.”

Percival Graves sighed as he and Orion waited for the elevator. The wizards were heading back toward his office from their ally conference, which had dragged on too damn long. Both were ready to grab their jackets and get to dinner, needing to be anywhere but work. 

The Director did in fact know how his oldest godson was. Sirius Orion Black treated being in Gryffindor as a way of life. He admitted, “Britain may not have done the same Statute of Secrecy crap, but Europe’s magical family law is as ancient and shitty as anywhere.”

“Who are you telling?” The Black Lord demanded, “I don’t even know of anywhere else that magical marriage contracts are still a thing. Who let’s parents make teenagers sign something like that?” Orion growled, “Cygnus threatened to do it to his girls; I told him he’d never get another penny from our family and that’s only if I didn’t kill him. If Sirius or Reggie ever even… Sometimes I don’t know why Abby puts up with me and my family.”

“You’re his mate and he loves you. You can’t help that your father was a bastard,” Percy reminded him, “I knew the rogue wasn’t going to risk being at Grimmauld Place before he went back anyway. He’d die if Aberforth didn’t put him on that train.”

Of course, the rogue wasn’t his only nephew at Hogwarts anymore, “How’s Reg liking school?”

“He’s fine, he’s got Cissy and her friend, Severus. Boy’s not crazy about being apart from Sirius so much, but it’s part of being in different houses; he’ll be fine,” Orion was glad for his youngest niece. He was even more ecstatic that, with both boys in school, he didn’t have to spend every other week at Grimmauld place with Walburga. At least until summer rolled back around.

“I thought Sirius’ first letter was going to burst into flames like a howler, he was so excited,” Orion chuckled, “He keeps talking about getting his lion.”

“Jamie too,” Percival huffed, “We’re never going to keep them from it until they’re seventeen.”

“I want to agree with you, but Abby’s determined. I’m not getting involved, he and Sirius can duke it out.”

The vampire laughed, “I’ll put money on the boys; we’re getting too old to win against the new generation.”

The Black Lord groaned, “Don’t remind me. I’m already dreading turning fifty this year.”

“You are the youngest person in the family!” Percy reminded him, “The kids excluded, obviously.”

“I know, but it still bugs me. Besides, you’ve been thirty-five for a damn eon by now.”

Rolling his eyes the Director acknowledged, “That part’s true.”

There was silence for several long moments and Orion studied his best friend. He could tell that the vampire was lost in thought, as the Graves Lord stood perfectly still, not bothering to keep up the constant movement that he was so used to exhibiting at work, “Why don’t you just go see him? Firecall and talk? Send a letter, anything?”

The Director huffed, eyes moving down to stare at his feet, “I don’t know anymore. What would I even say?”

“I love you, I miss you, I’m not even mad anymore,” A femine voice joined them in the little room housing the elevators, “By the way, take your pants off, because I’m coming over.”

Orion laughed so hard he had to lean on the wall beside the elevator shaft. He couldn’t deny that Porpentina Scamander was one of his favorite people. The woman took absolutely no shit from her declared work husband and he loved the way that she challenged his and his mate’s best friend. Once he could breathe, even as Percy shook his head at her, the siren exclaimed, “That works!”

“That does not work,” Percy hissed at his work wife, “Besides, it’s been decades. He may not even want to speak to me anymore.”

Now it was Tina who rolled her eyes, “Percy, the man could break out any time he wanted; he’s proven that many times. It’s his own damn castle! The only reason he’s stayed in time out is because of you. You were genuinely mad at him and he can’t stand that.”

He huffed, “I’ll think about it, just... New topic, please.”

The elevator sounded it’s arrival and as they all stepped in Tina acquiesced to his request, “So, how’s it feel to be an old man?”

“You are older than me!” Orion said with mock offense.

“Yeah, but now you’re officially going to be one of us!” Tina told him, “Bet Sirius has had a field day with that.”

He groaned, “Damn straight he has. I don’t want to be fifty!”

“Then don’t,” Percy said dryly, as the doors started sliding shut, “You are a siren, it’s your choice.”

Tina puffed at him exasperated, “Says the man who loved being fifty and who has stayed deaged for someone he’s not even speaki…”

A hand dashed in to stop the doors right before the doors closed. When it popped back open and Albus Dumbledore realized who was in the elevator, they could all see that he wished he hadn’t caught it. After a moment of shock, he stepped into the golden machine with them, pressing the button for the floor below Percy’s office. He kept his back to the three and his lips tight, obviously refusing to say a word.

Percy and Orion both rolled their eyes meeting glances, before the Graves Lord took an even breath, refusing to give an audible show of his frustration, as he cast his eyes upwards staring at the ceiling. He prayed to Mary and Morgana that the ride would be blessedly short. 

Irritated with his brother in law, Orion glanced over to Tina and realized that she was glaring absolute daggers into Albus’ head for ignoring her best friend and work husband. He knew that the woman was protective of Percival; had been since he returned from spousal abduction to the States with Flea. Her resentment was only intensified by the way Albus had ignored his family since their infant daughter was kidnapped by muggle extremists. Although Aberforth and Albus had started talking again, tentatively, when Sirius started Hogwarts, Orion wasn’t thrilled with him either and did not like being ignored when the brothers were supposed to be in contact.

As the door slid shut, he had a thought, “Sirius was telling me that Jimmy placed team Captain over the summer, how did it go?”

Over the years, Percival Graves had been hatefully told that vampires couldn’t feel and were heartless a million times. When he glanced toward Orion’s reflection and spotted Albus Dumbledore’s horrified expression at the nickname in the elevator metal, it became his personal mantra for several seconds, to keep himself from busting out laughing. They were all shielding at work, but he would have given anything to hear what the fae and genius was thinking at that moment.

Luckily Tina didn’t even miss a beat, popping her ‘boss’ in the shoulder, “Oh, you didn’t tell me that! Tell Jim I said congratulations!”

“I will,” He said smoothly, glancing at her with a small grin for covering him, “It went very well. He managed to get invited back to lead the team again next year. Flea and I were surprised when Sirius didn’t join.”

“Heartless bitch wouldn’t sign; they required dual consent,” Orion growled, “He showed out so badly, that’s when she cursed him.”

“Jimmy mentioned she had something to do with it,” Percy acknowledged, “When he turned up at the apartment. He seemed excited to play the team’s mascot though.”

“Getting my oldest to show out is never a challenge,” Orion admitted, “I’m sure he made a right spectacle.”

“Did he manage to get you three back to Hogsmeade before school started?” Tina asked the Black Lord.

“That he did,” Orion smiled, “Used a cretin gnome this time.”

“Points for originality,” Tina told them as the doors slid open. 

Albus Dumbledore stepped out quickly, face still looking like he had tasted a lemon, and disappeared around the nearest corner. The three of them shared a look as the door started closing once more. As soon as it was shut, they all burst out laughing. Orion leaned back on the furthest wall of the elevator to hold himself up. While Tina’s head fell forward onto Percy’s shoulder, her whole body shaking.

The vampire shook his head at the two, wiping a tear from his eye, “We’re all going straight to hell.”

“Jewish,” Tina reminded him playfull for the billionth time in their fifty years together at Macusa, “Go to confession, you’ll be fine.”

Percy snorted, “Forgive me father, for I have sinned… My best friend’s brother in law was being a prick, so we screwed with him.”

Orion laughed, “Can’t you just say mate? It’s less of a mouthful.”

“Own it,” Tina encouraged, “You’ll feel better.”

“He’s had that shit shut down for so long,” Percy sighed, “I don’t think it’s applicable if you’ve never said two words to one another.”

“Not even when Blondie went to prison?” Tina asked him, “Nothing? Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Albus is the master of avoidance,” Orion told her, as they stepped out of the elevator, heading for Percy’s office, “There’s a reason he took so long to confront Gellert. A blood pact promising to always love each other didn’t keep him from jack shit, and even then, Percy had already done the hard part to make The Liberator want to break that wand in half when he took Flea away.”

“Fair,” Tina moved on quickly, remembering that Percy had already tolerated talk of his other mate as much as he would today. She didn’t blame him honestly; neither of Percy’s mates were prizes in her opinion, “Where are you two heading?”

“Dinner, care to join us?”

“Can’t, Mora had her foal. I promised to help after work,” Tina told them, stepping into her office to grab her coat, before catching up to them in Percy’s. 

“The auburn hippogriff, right?” Percy clarified.

“Yep!”

“Give my congratulations to all,” The Director encouraged as she quickly took off for home. He and Orion headed back toward the elevators once more, moving to the international floo network and waiting for Abby to join them in the States for a night in New York.

When the bar owner arrived he saw immediately that his younger mate and best friend were entirely too happy, “What is it?”

“Can’t we just have a good day?” Orion asked, stealing a kiss as they finally moved out of MACUSA.

“At an international conference full of all day meetings?” Aberforth reminded sarcastically, “No, no you cannot.”

“He’s got you there,” Percy pointed out. 

Orion still couldn’t force the grin from his face as they moved toward their favorite italian restaurant in the city, “Fine, we may have done a bad thing to your brother.”

“He had it coming,” The salt and pepper haired fae said confidently, “But what did you do?”

By the time they finished their story, Aberforth was being held up by his mate, after Percival shared the image of his big brother’s face using legilimency. He couldn’t breathe because, unlike Percy, he knew exactly what his genius of a brother had been thinking. Fleamont was Percy and Grindelwald’s only child; that made James the Flaring Fiend’s heir. The thought of them calling the legendary and notorious Liberator’s heir ‘Jimmy’ would have just bugged the absolute hell out of the barely red haired wizard and that made his gut want to explode from the induced hysteria.

The trio enjoyed dinner, sharing the rest of their day’s experiences, both at the conference and the bar. The two government officials talked about the endless meetings they’d endured and Abby shared the letters that Sirius and Reggie sent home that day. Then they left for their upscale apartment building, where Orion kept a place in the city for nights like tonight, when they were in the States; the couple’s place just a floor below their best friend’s. 

“Can’t you just move back?” Abby demanded, “Gods, it’s been decades.”

Not wanting his mate caught off guard or surprised if Percy was short, Orion sent a warning of their earlier conversation across their mating bond. He wasn’t surprised when that did nothing to dissuade his goat of a fae mate. Kendra Dumbledore might have called him the auguery of their family, but that was too good for what a determined, stubborn, irritating arse his lover could be.

“What for?” Percy asked, “The kids are in hand with you two and, as today demonstrated, your brother wants nothing to do with me.”

“Look, Perce, I’m never going to be a Grindelwald fanboy, everyone knows this,” The fae started, “But he’s your husband. You two are going to have to talk eventually.”

“And say what?” The vampire demanded, “I’ve never agreed with his politics and I’m not going to!”

“You think I’m asking you to? Me?” Abby set him a look, raising his eyebrows, “But, I don’t think he even agrees with what he did anymore. He’s stayed there because he doesn’t feel like you want him now and everyone can see how miserable you are without the bastard. Just admit that you’re still crazy about the son of a bitch and get him moved to house arrest here.”

“I thought the point of this was to get me back in Europe,” The Director pointed out with a sad smile, trying to distract the dark fae with his sarcasm.

Aberforth snorted, “I would love nothing more than for you to come back. Commute to work if you don’t want to let Tina take over. Flea would be ecstatic! James would explode into confetti. Gods know that boy worships the ground you walk on. More than anything though, I just want you to not be miserable anymore…” 

The empath fiddled with the Dumbledore heir ring on his middle finger, “Percy, I know why you left. I agree with you, he had to stop; more than anyone, I wanted him stopped. But, he  _ did  _ stop. He gave the wand up to Albus,” The wizard sighed, “Listen, I can’t imagine how you felt in that elevator today. And, I’m certainly not asking you to share with the class, I’m just saying think about it. You’re doing to him what Albus did to you today and that’s not right either… From what I gather even those two idiots talk.”

“They do,” Percy confirmed quietly, “My magic’s linked to anything that goes on in Nurmengard.”

The siren of the trio was angry on his friend’s behalf. Everyone wanted to never let Percy forget who he married, well before Grindelwald ever rose to power, and held the vampire’s career hostage just like the Dark Lord had his spouse. Yet when the blasted public wanted the man contained they were more than happy to put that on the Director of Security for MACUSA, who didn’t even live or work on the same continent. Orion glared at his husband, not liking the hurt that flashed across their best friend’s face.

Aberforth still pushed forward, “Do that then, if you’re not ready to see him… Just… Please don’t be miserable, especially when I know being with him is what you want. You left, you made your point, he stopped. There’s nothing wrong in getting back with him now.”

By that point they had arrived in the building and were outside the Black family’s apartment. The vampire Director stared up at the ceiling, “Maybe you’ve got a point. I still don’t know what to say to him though.”

Orion snorted where he was unlocking the door, “There’s always Tina’s suggestion.”

“Ugh,” Percy rolled his eyes, “That woman’s a menace. Good night, assholes.”

He trudged up the stairs, his last words quiet, little more than a whisper, fond but distracted, as the Graves Lord was lost in his own head.

The two disappeared into their apartment after issuing farewells and Abby looked at his mate, “What did Tina suggest?” The siren just shared it through their mating bond, but the younger Dumbledore brother could feel his mate’s irritation with him. He huffed, “Someone had to say it.”

“Maybe the day your brother pulled his little schtick wasn’t the right time. You didn’t see Percy’s face when he just put his back to him like that,” Orion pointed out.

“It’s been ridiculous since James was born,” he hissed at his husband, “Percy has wanted the blonde terror back for over a decade. If I’m the last one in this family willing to kick you idiots in the arse when you need it, so be it! But I will not apologize for that!” He spun and took off for the bedroom. 

Still irritated Orion called out, “Yeah, well maybe you should start with your brother, before you come for the rest of us!!!”

The door slammed and he was never more tempted to go sleep in Graves’ spare bedroom. Instead, because he did not want to have to explain the contents of their argument, he pulled off his tie and shirt. That left him in only his white sleeveless undershirt as Orion got a drink before collapsing into his recliner. He had one arm thrown across his eyes, the other holding his drink, feet propped up, when he felt the warding magic on the apartment alert him to a fire call.

The siren was just praying that it wasn’t the Ministry as he let the call come through, in no mood to have to floo across the damn Atlantic this late. He didn’t even bother to move his arm, if anyone didn’t like that he was relaxing at home, they could simply kiss his…

“Well, don’t you look like a prize.”

He recognized the voice and quickly sat up to greet his tattoo artist, Rhys Inkler. Orion couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face, “What are you doing calling me so late, old man? How’s the baby?”

“I’m not the one turning fifty, you old bugger! And she’s still not sleeping through the night; not sure I’m gonna make it, Ori,” Rhys disclosed, unabashedly observing the Black family and Slytherin crests that adorned each of the siren’s upper arms, making sure they were still in perfect condition. They were.

“I remember those days,” He shook his head.

“Well, speaking of kids, that’s kind of why I’m calling you,” Rhys told him. When all he got in response was a confused expression the man moved to continue quickly, “Your son just walked into Tattoo Artists here in Diagon Alley; trying to bribe me for a job. He’s got three other boys with him.”

“Ahh shit!” Orion complained, throwing his arm back over his face, “Damn it all and I can’t even be surprised; his uncle is out of the country.”

The artist laughed, “Well, I told them I was going to make sure the gold they paid me was authentic. I didn’t want to tip them off that I knew you; I figured they’d just leave and get some hack job to do it.”

“You are not wrong,” Orion said, listening to the shower running in the bedroom for a few seconds, “Go ahead and do it, Rhys.”

“What!? Are you sure?” 

“You don’t know them, but they will get it done one way or another. By a hack job or themselves,” Orion nodded, sure of his decision, “Go ahead. They’re all mine, you have my permission.”

“Alright man, as long as you consent,” He nodded, “They want a…”

“A lion, upper arm, where my crests are. Roaring, golden fur and red maned.”

He stared at the man for a moment, “Okay… Maybe they wanted a lion for a while, but that’s too damn specific. Have you seen the drawing they brought me?”

“No, the picture is a copy of their uncle’s. They’re getting one just like his.”

The man snorted, “Fine, then. You coming to pick them up?”

“Nah, if they can get out, then they can get back in. They always manage,” Orion told him, “Do me a favor and let them think they got away with it, huh? No reason to get in trouble with the mate.”

“Fair enough! Wouldn’t want Aberforth after my arse either,” Rhys admitted then cut the firecall off. 

Orion knew that he had until Albus got back to Hogwarts. Minerva McGonagall was undoubtedly waiting on the boys and once the irritating redhead got back, she’d tell him what they got up to. The older fae would never risk not telling his brother what the boys did; then Abby would have a right fit. At least, if the boys kept their mouths shut about where, it wouldn’t be his arse getting chewed out.

Sitting and having a couple more drinks, the Black Lord thought about going upstairs and seeing Percy. He didn’t know if that would make things better or worse though. After debating for a few minutes, as the shower was still running, Orion decided to risk it.

Getting a refill he moved upstairs, barefoot, to his best friend’s apartment. The warding magic automatically unlocked the door recognizing him and Orion slipped inside, worried Percy might have gone to bed after the taxing day. Instead, he found the Graves Lord sitting at the desk in his living room, crumpled balls of paper thrown all over the floor having been cast away, while Percy scribbled on his turul stationary. After a few moments the vampire also tossed aside the one he was working on. 

The younger lord did not have to ask what he was writing, “Struggling?”

“Why the fuck is this so hard, Ori?” Percival demanded, sitting back harshly, index finger going over his lip as it always did when he was frustrated, “I mean, Abby’s not wrong. I am married to the son of a bitch! This shouldn’t be a Herculean task!” 

He sat on the sofa, legs extended before him, facing the Director, “What do you want to say to him?”

“What?”

Genuine confusion, it was worse than Orion feared, “You know, how you have a conversation with anyone. You say what you want to say. What do you want to say to him?”

Percy stared at him for several minutes, just thinking about the question. He hadn’t talked to Gellert in so long and, before he’d brought Flea with him to the States, they’d had it out. There really was nothing left to say about what had happened then. Gellert had already begged him for forgiveness, given up all his political intentions, and even asked him not to leave. Percy had anyway, needing to be sure that the seer was really going to stop. 

There was just the here and now, but he wasn’t sure what that looked like for them anymore. He was in the States, Flea was grown and finally had a son. James was between them and basically lived in Nurmengard when he wasn’t with Percy, but there was only so much they would be able to talk about in terms of his quidditch success.

Seeing the haplessness on his friend’s face, Orion sighed, “Maybe ask if he wants you to open the bond back up?”

That seemed to make the vampire startle. After he realized what his siren friend meant, the Director shook his head, “I never muted our bond.”

“You didn’t?”

“Of course not, I’m not your brother in law,” Percy told him tersely, “I left to prove a point, but I wasn’t going to let some mob show up on his doorstep and kill him either. If he ever needed me, I’d be there.”

“Of course you aren’t! I’m sorry, Perce, I didn’t mean…”

“No, no, it’s not you,” He moved to apologize, head cradled in his hands, “I’m sorry, this is harder than I thought it would be and I hate it.”

Orion waved him off, “Look, I know that he writes to Albus and he’s expressed how much he wants you back. He doesn’t seem to know that you’d be there if he needed you; maybe you should just tell him that. It’s a start.”

Seeing the sour look that crossed Percy’s features, he raised an eyebrow, “What?”

“Nothing.”

The Black Lord thought back over what he just said and then chuckled, “Percy, they aren’t together. It’s just letters.”

The vampire was grateful that he couldn’t blush because he probably would have looked like the Ilvermorny banners at that moment, “Are you sure?”

“Positive!” Orion assured him, “Gellert isn’t going to be with anyone without your approval, especially Albus. He knows the two of you still haven’t spoken and you’re his husband. I swear on that, Perce. Albus is just one of the only people who write to him, along with Flea and Jamie, and Lady Bagshot.”

“Okay,” the Graves accepted, staring at the blank stationary in front of him.

Orion spent the next several hours as an impartial sounding board as the other wizard painfully forged through a letter to his mate and husband. Thinking about the man downstairs, although they couldn’t get legally married because of Walburga, and the threat to Orion’s own magic if he broke the marriage contract, he felt himself melt toward his husband. Fiddling with the ring on his finger, symbolic though it may be, he still thought Abby should have given the vampire a day after what happened in the elevator. Then again, there was also the reality that they were going back to Europe at first light for work. 

Aberforth Dumbledore also was not a ‘beat around the bush’ sort of individual; there was a reason he called him a goat… Maybe that was what he should get the fae for Christmas, a little billy goat. If the little terror butted his mate in the arse a few times, maybe he’d slow down in the way he did it to other people. Probably not, but it was worth a shot.

When the blasted letter was finally as complete as Percival was going to get it, Orion felt the wards flare down stairs, as the man was sending it off, “Ahh Hel and Hekate.”

“What?” Percy asked, letting his owl, Carni, a Great Horned Owl, fly out the window.

Orion rolled his eyes, “Okay, between us, the boys snuck out to get a tattoo. I’m guessing Albus went back tonight and had to come right back when he found out.”

“Does Abby know that you know?”

“Hel is great and I’m not an idiot; absolutely not.”

“Touche,” Percy said as his friend headed for the door, “Good luck with that.”

“Let’s meet at seven for breakfast before we head back,” Orion said, already halfway out the door. He closed the door and turned, finding Aberforth at the top of the landing, undoubtedly coming to get him as he was sure the older fae asked to speak to both of them, “What now?”

He was confused when Aberforth flinched, then he realized that the other wizard thought he was still pissed from their fight. Not wanting to keep fighting he quickly corrected him, “I felt Albus come in, I meant him.”

“Oh,” There was relief in the other’s voice. Obviously Abby didn’t want to fight anymore either, “I don’t know yet… I should probably talk to Percy.”

“He’s going to bed,” Orion told him. He saw hurt flash across the other’s face and, again, it occurred that he’d misstepped. Abby thought Percival had asked not to see him. Apparently he was off his game tonight and he needed to fix that before he got his own arse sold out about the tattoo, “Not that! He’s meeting us for breakfast. We just sent off his letter to Grindelwald.”

All he got was a pair of wide eyes, “Oh.”

He chuckled, “Come on, let’s go see what Sirius has done this time.”

Abby smiled at him, “One of these days it’s going to be Reggie and he’s never going to let you live it down.”

“I hope you’re right,” Orion told him, “But, so far, a warm day in Helheim still seems more likely.”

“Percy would say…”

“Hell is scorching, yes, I’m well aware,” Orion beat him to the punchline.

“He’s only been in school for three weeks,” Aberforth complained, grabbing his mate’s hand now that he realized the man wasn’t still angry at him, “What could he possibly be doing?”

“It’s three more weeks than we got last year,” Orion reminded him. Albus had been on their doorstep just after the feast ended the boys’ third year; some welcoming prank that wound up with all the teachers, and the headmaster, doing an elaborate dance and resulted in the first day of classes being cancelled. Although Orion had sent the self proclaimed marauders one incensed howlder, Aberforth hadn’t been able to breathe at the thought of his son doing that to his uncle and the man’s staff.

They entered the apartment and Orion quickly spotted the headmaster and his phoenix companion. He could only assume that was a faster means of travel than floo after a long day. 

Albus was sitting on the sofa awaiting them. The fae looked up and blushed but still greeted the siren, “Orion.”

“Oh, so you do remember my name,” His brother in law didn’t miss a beat, “I was beginning to wonder.”

Aberforth snickered, always delighted when anyone gave his brother a hard time. Especially when the genius had it coming. “I love you so much,” He reminded his husband.

“I’m so sorry,” Albus said, embarrassment obvious, “I… panicked. I just… I didn’t know what to say.”

“Lesson of the night seems to be that anything is better than silence,” Orion reclaimed his chair, pulling Abby down into his lap, “So, what did he do? Paint the Great Hall in hippogriff feathers? Declare his love for the werewolf in grandeur during Transfiguration? Put cretin gnomes in old Sluggy’s office?”

Aberforth tried to hide his huffing laughter by hiding his face in Orion’s neck. Sirius did have an unbelievable amount of sexual tension with his sandy blonde friend and his mate had long predicted that the two would end up together. While the fae wasn’t so sure, as he could feel both’s strictly platonic emotions for one another, he was sure that they would be lifelong friends. He wouldn’t be surprised if their mates wound up sharing many traits with the marauder they weren’t mated to.

Albus smiled. For all everyone complained about his twinkling eyes, his brother lit up like nothing he’d ever seen whenever the younger siren was around and no one complained when the dark Dumbledore twinkled. Still, he was happy for his brother. He knew the fae had stopped aging, worried about Orion’s youth when they first met, but he was hoping with the man turning fifty that they’d feel more on par with one another finally, “Nothing quite so impactful this time; although I’ve heard cretin gnomes are all the rage recently. They were caught sneaking out.”

“Oh, okay…” Aberforth was genuinely surprised. It wasn’t that sneaking out wasn’t bad, it was. The boys just got caught doing it so often, that it was usually just a firecall, not a home visit from his brother.

“I know, not when I normally turn up,” Albus acknowledged, knowing he was never going to hear the end of this, “It’s what they were doing while they were gone that I thought you’d want to know about.”

“Well, don’t leave me in suspense,” Abby instructed.

“They went and got a tattoo.”

Aberforth groaned, “Oh Hel, I can only imagine what they go too! Who the fuck gives fourteen year olds a tattoo? Would Rhys?”

“Tattoo Artist doesn’t do minors without parental consent,” Orion told him without a moment’s hesitation.

“Of course they fucking don’t! What hack job would? What is wrong with people? Bloody absolute hell, those stubborn idiots! I am going to kick their…”

Both men just let him storm off into the office, undoubtedly going for a howler, to let his son have a piece of Abby’s mind. Orion waited until he could hear the man screaming into one of the red envelopes before turning back to his brother in law, “Did they get it?”

“A lion? Indeed. As a matter of fact, they mentioned where they got it too.”

“Bloody hell,” Orion cursed, now he was in trouble too.

Albus chuckled, “That was a very… persuasive statement, but Rhys would never have done that unless you knew.”

“Yeah, I knew,” Orion admitted, “We’d just had a row over the lift incident when he popped in and they were going to do it anyway, so…”

The fae flinched at the mention of their earlier altercation, even as the siren waved off his ending. Knowing he hadn’t handled that well, the oldest Dumbledore felt absolutely terrible. He had never known what to say to Percival Graves; he’d muted both of his mating bonds so very long ago. He didn’t know what to do or how to talk to the man; it’s not like you can just apologize for decades of elected isolation and expect the hurt it caused to go away. 

Gellert said that the vampire still hadn’t reached out to him either. And Albus in no way wanted to get between the two husbands… Alright, that was a bad way to even think about that… But still, he wasn’t trying to make things more complicated between the pair. So, he wrote to his friend and heard about his heartache, but continued to avoid his other mate, even as he kept in contact with Flea and aided in raising the family’s youngest like James was another nephew.

Aberforth stomped back into the room, red envelope securely in one hand, an owl in the other, “Anything else I need to add before I send this?”

“No, that’s it.”

Orion was surprised that his brother in law seemed to have zero interest in selling him out to his mate. He accepted the scarlet fae’s attempt at an apology, knowing the smoke would have to long clear between his friend and Grindelwald, before any of them would be crazy enough to try and put Percy and Albus in the same space again. So, once the howler was sent off to arrive with Hogwarts’ morning post, the Headmaster left quickly to go back and get some sleep.

The next morning Sirius and his friends endured the howler with pride, everyone in the Great Hall quickly becoming aware of exactly what they’d done and what their new brands were. Albus spotted his youngest nephew, along with Cissy, about to fall out of their seats, hysterical, while Severus didn’t bother suppressing a chroused eye roll with Lily Evans. 

Apparently Abby had come to be pissed at him once he’d left, because Albus got a howler as well. He and Minerva quickly dismissed everyone to their morning classes as the cat calls started toward the troublemakers, before Sirius could actually start a strip tease at breakfast. They both knew he would.

There was some surprise when, the next day, two more howlers arrived in the same vein as the first. Then it happened again the next day, and the next, and the next. By the second week of howlers coming every day, even Minnie was giving Albus sideways looks, that plainly cited where she thought Sirius got his dramatic tendencies. The older fae agreed with her silently; that Abby ever worried Sirius wouldn’t be his son was a damn joke! 

Still, everyone got used to the new normal of Sirius Black’s dad bitching about him getting a tattoo at fourteen. It actually became a standard warning for if students forgot something, their last chance to run back to the dorms before they’d be late. Almost a month after the howlers started, Albus shared a relieved look with his nephew when the first morning arrived with only a regular letter at breakfast.

The other boys looked almost disappointed, having enjoyed the creative lengths that Sirius’ dad went to as he came up with new ways to yell at his son for the same thing everyday, but James still leaned in to read over his friends’ shoulder. The quartet of Marauders were sitting at the Gryffindor table’s end, right below the instructors. From the black wax of the seal, rather than red, Albus was guessing Orion finally had enough of his husband’s antics.

Still, despite many’s apparent disappointment, and all the money that was exchanging hands, soon it was time for all the kids to get moving. As the boys took off, he believed for Horace’s first class of the day with Slytherin, the Headmaster heard them talking.

Sirius was grinning bright like the sun, “Gotta love it when the old man puts his foot down in the right direction!”

James smiled at him as he moved around the table, a bag slung over his shoulder, “And that would be any direction other than yours?”

“You’re damn straight!” Sirius said as they high fived, “Whoop!” 

The sandy blonde next to the Black heir crossed his arms and mocked him, “I thought your father was persona non grata and you didn’t like him?”

“Only every other week,” Sirius corrected the sarcastic werewolf, “Once you enter the shedevil’s domain he becomes an enemy of the state and should be treated as such!”

“As someone with an enemy of the state as a relative,” James put in, “That is offensive; your mother is worse.”

“Who are you telling?” Sirius asked, before snatching another donut and running off with James’ glasses, where the Potter heir had been finishing homework at breakfast.

“Arsehole, come back here!” James took off after his best friend.

Remus Lupin rolled his eyes at their antics, but ran after them for the door, “You’re both idiots!”

“Guys wait up,” Albus chuckled as Peter Pettigrew sprinted after his taller friends. 

He shared a grin with Minerva at the boys’ commentary before she took off for classes and he waited for the hall to clear out. He spotted Lily Evans meet up with Severus Snape and Narcissa Black at the door to leave for class; little Reggie looked to trail after them until they reached the stairs. He hoped that his nephew was alright, he hadn’t wanted to check in a third time and crowd the eleven year old; siblings being in different houses always struggled, especially during their first year.

Still, he hadn’t really been surprised by the choice. Sirius took after Orion in appearance and charm, but modeled himself after Aberforth’s brashness. Reggie was the opposite, although maybe not with appearance. His little nephew shared the Dumbledore brothers’ joint hallow in his longing to shield others, while his model for dealing with their crazy family was his father through and through, subtlety and cunning to the end.

Once everyone had cleared out of the hall he moved back to his office to write several correspondences, but as the fae entered Fawkes was just coming in with a letter from Nurmengard. Albus struggled to bat down the surge of excitement that came with the raven seal, reminding himself that they were nothing more than best friends, against every insistence of the long muted bonds that he hadn’t acknowledged in all but seventy five years. And given who Gellert was married to…

God, what in the hell was wrong with him? Because when he’d first gotten a letter from G after the lift, he’d been sure what it was about, and it wasn’t follow up on their discussion of how to remove that damned curse from his Defense position. Albus had been sure the Dark Lord was going to throttle him through the missive; actually, if Gellert wasn’t in prison, he’d assumed it would have been a howler. His first thought, almost a month ago, had been that the blonde siren was going to be having Flea bring him some of those after that mess.

Then it hit him that he hadn’t even considered how Fleamont Potter would react to their encounter; let the howlers floweth forth. Despite the fact that he had raised Flea like his own once Gellert and his husband sent him to Hogwarts, the next generation had never ceased being protective of his father. Between knowing about the vampire Director’s struggle to the position during his bachelor years, the discrimination he still faced, and that brief stint as a prisoner of his husband, Albus couldn’t blame Flea. 

Not to mention the Headmaster acknowledged how very badly he’d messed up that scenario. He’d even ignored Orion! Bloody hell, what was wrong with him?

Why couldn’t he just speak and let the other man set the damn pace? Every single time he was in the same room as Percival Graves he swore to breaking the wheel; that he was going to say something to him. It always seemed like his next thought was as the vampire was walking away. 

Gellert’s husband was the strongest magical presence he’d ever encountered, other than, maybe, the Liberator himself. The wizard ran the States like he was the one true king reborn, making every President’s term nominal at best, all because the people begged him not to leave. To top it all off Graves was still forty something and looked gorgeous in his suits, with his hair always slicked back perfect and…

And, as Albus pinched the bridge of his nose, he reminded himself that it didn’t matter, because he wanted nothing to do with his mates romantically. He’d fucked up his family’s lives enough, managed to let his and Gellert’s tale get so twisted already, and there was no way that he was dragging Director Graves into his messes. The man already had a hard enough time with his career and the history of one mate. That’s why he was never going to deage, he’d decided; one lifetime was more than enough.

Opening that first letter, he was confused, then just surprised, when he discovered that the vampire hadn’t seemed to mention their encounter to Gellert at all. He had been telling the blonde idiot for years to just write to the man; his siren best friend confessed years ago that Graves never muted their bond. Gellert thinking that the Director didn’t want him anymore had been ridiculous since James was born, quite frankly. If the vampire wanted to move on from his mates, it was not like he didn’t have options and yet he never dated anyone else.

Reading through the letter, he’d smiled at the overall exuberance that Gellert exuded at his husband re-establishing contact with him. Although that same smile turned slightly devious when he recognized the panic in the siren when his friend pondered what to write back. He hadn’t dared to give feedback on that, but it warmed part of Albus to know that someone could still fluster Gellert Grindelwald. 

But, if the vampire was going to write Gellert anyway, why hadn’t Graves told him what happened? Albus knew that both his and the Director’s magics were linked to Nurmengard’s security, so the man clearly was aware of their communication. He probably didn’t think that Albus cared enough to even bring it up, so he didn’t either. 

The vampire wouldn’t have cause to think anything else, that was for certain. He’d been muted towards Gellert since their last conversation after the fight with Abby and Arianna’s death. He hadn’t even reopened their bond during the twenty minute conversation they’d had when the siren ceased control of the Elder wand. And Albus had muted his connection to Percy when he finally heard that the vampire met up with Gellert first, calling it fate, not even a few years after Godric’s Hollow.

Honestly, though, why Graves hadn’t told Gellert about the lift was a mystery and Albus hadn’t dared to bring it up. Instead they continued talking about how to remove that damn curse and discussed how James’ fourth year was going. His friend had been saying for the last two weeks that Albie should tell his brother off for his temper tantrum. G would be ecstatic to know that Orion had done it for him.

As he was scanning the letter, the new arrival charm alerted him to an incoming student. With the briefest of glances, Albus spotted a flash of blood red hair and chuckled, “It’s only three weeks in and you’re bored already?”

Lily Evans was too advanced for her own good and tended to bounce between himself, Minerva, and Horace for entertainment. Actually, he was genuinely surprised the girl was here since she was supposed to be in potions at the moment. It wasn’t one of her subjects that typically couldn’t hold the girl’s interest.

It wasn’t until a sob reached his ears that Albus abandoned the letter and, startled, gave the fourteen year old his full attention. Fawkes was already on her shoulder, trying to help, as tears poured from the little crimson haired girl’s eyes. Her shoulders were shaking and there was a piece of parchment clutched in her hands.

Standing he rushed over to her, leaning down to wipe the tears away, “Lily, what in the world happened, sweetheart?”

Her hand shook as she extended the parchment to him.

Taking it, Albus’ breath caught.

_ Heritage Potion - September 21, 1974 _

_ Brewer: Lily Jasmine Evans Dumbledore Black _

_ Status: Witch, Pureblood _

_ Father(s): Albus Dumbledore _

_ Carrier: Orion Black _


	2. Chapter 2

_ September 29, 1982 _

Aberforth Dumbledore despised being alone. When he was young he’d always joked about wanting to be an only child; being stuck in the middle between a genius and a perfect baby sister drove him nutty. Then, after Ariana died, and it felt like he’d lost both siblings instead of just one, the fae had quickly learned how much he despised being by himself.

After he’d found his mate in a fifteen year old Orion Black and Aberforth couldn’t have children, Ori had used Albus’ conception potion to have Sirius, Lily, and Reggie. The boys had been the only good thing to ever come out of the Black Lord’s magical marriage contract to Walburga Black. Lily, as a baby and once she’d been brought back to the family at fourteen, had finally meant that there was peace between Abby and his big brother. And Sirius and James’ friendship meant that the younger Dumbledore found his own best friend in Percival Graves, originally born Henry Potter. 

As James, Severus, and Lily had started their own family, alone had seemed like a foreign concept.

Now, almost a year after James and Lily’s deaths, alone was all that Aberforth had. Orion had driven himself into an early grave trying to find and save Reggie, his youngest was gone, and Sirius was imprisoned for his best friend and sister’s deaths. Albus had placed baby Harry in the muggle world and Aberforth hadn’t even attempted to speak to Percy since last Halloween.

He had begged Albus to let him confront Sirius. No auror report was going to convince him that his son was guilty; the Gryffindor of the Black family wasn’t capable of bringing James, Lily, or Harry to harm. It wasn’t possible. His brother had refused and no one was willing to listen to Abby or his insistence that his oldest child wasn’t guilty.

The only other person who wanted Sirius to be innocent as much as he did was Minerva McGonagall. The witch had loved Sirius like a son and she’d certainly been more of his mother than Walburga ever was. She had been Orion’s work wife during her ministry career, then became Albus’ when she became a professor; plus Abby had been supplying her free alcohol every Friday since James and Sirius were sorted into Gryffindor.

So, as they sat in the corner booth of Hog’s Head Inn, Aberforth Dumbledore was grateful for his one remaining connection to life. He hadn’t left his establishment since the previous Halloween and his daughter and son-in-law’s funeral services, having nowhere to go and no one to see. Although he never asked her what his big brother was doing, the animagus always told him anyway. The wizard wasn’t sure if he was grateful or not.

“...And I don’t know what to do with poor Bill. He’s not good at being the youngest. Of course he’s not, with five younger brothers and another on the way…”

“Already?”

Minerva snorted, “Molly was upset about her oldest going off to school, so apparently this one was a consolation prize of sorts.”

That actually made Abby laugh. He’d never been supremely close to the Weasleys, but Molly and Arthur were good people. Still, seven boys; he and Ori had barely been able to handle the two most days, “How’s Arthur holding up?”

“Well, he…”

It took Aberforth a moment to realize that she wasn’t going to continue and look up from his drink. By the time the fae took in her startled face and turned to follow it, a dark tower had already arrived to loom over their table. Looking at Percival Graves for the first time in a year made him jump a little, although the man hadn’t changed much.

Of course, he hadn’t aged since Flea was born, so that made sense.

The vampire didn’t waste time with pleasantries, “Harry is in danger. I need your help to find him.”

The younger wizard’s heart was suddenly in his throat. He wouldn’t survive the loss of his grandson too, “What happened?”

“I don’t know exactly,” Percy admitted, “But something isn’t right. James and Lily shouldn't be able to reach across my necromancy for another decade minimum, but they’ve been pushing since the start of the month… I thought it was just me at first, then Jimmy used a blood flare in the beyond to get my attention.”

“A what?” Minerva demanded, utterly taken aback by the sudden appearance of MACUSA’s Director of Security. The vampire was a legend, leaving behind his identity of Henry Potter for America and his mother’s family name, back when Europe at large was still being arseholes about those with dark inheritances becoming aurors. She’d never actually met Albus’ other mate, Grindelwald’s husband, who her best friend had been avoiding for a century. And the woman certainly hadn’t planned on that changing tonight.

“Blood flares are the Hail Mary’s of deceased vampires. They can only be done in moments of extreme terror and it has to be between family,” Aberforth told her quickly, “Percy, this is Minerva McGonagall. Min, this is Percival Graves.”

“A pleasure,” He acknowledged before his attention returned to his best friend, “Where did your idiot brother put Harry?”

“With Andromeda Bl…”

“No, I just came from Andy,” Percy cut him off, “He must have changed the plan after…”

Aberforth flinched at the reminder of where his oldest son was, but wound up begrudgingly grateful when his best friend trailed off rather than bringing it up. If Harry was in danger that was their priority. James had died before coming into his vampire inheritance at twenty five and trying to come through on a necromancer’s radar before being dead for ten years was dangerous. His godson using a blood flare… Harry would be the only reason James and Lily would push the rules of life and death in such a way.

Where in the gods' names was his grandson?

“Bloody hell,” Minerva cursed, “I knew those muggles were no good!”

Both men turned to her, their eyebrows arching in unison. 

The professor had to admit that Lord Graves was equal parts terrifying and attractive at the moment. He was gorgeous, as most of his kind were, but at the moment she was surprised that the room didn’t shake with the rage barely contained behind his eyes. A Gryffindor through and through she might be, but the witch also wasn’t ashamed to admit that this powerhouse of a wizard made even her nervous.

McGonagall sighed, “I know where Albus put him. He’s with Lily’s adopted muggle sister, Petunia.”

“Where?”

“Little Whinging, Surrey,” She told him quickly, “Just outside London… I know the street address, I just don’t have…”

Suddenly a pen appeared in front of her and the Director’s hand was attached to it.

Aberforth watched as Minerva fucking McGonagall turned into a struck maiden for about three seconds. When he chuckled, that seemed to pull her out of it, and earned him a glare from the animagus, but it was simply too cute. She was probably one of five people brave enough to find the vampire handsome, even when he was angry; most just cowered.

“If something is wrong, I need to tell Albus,” She informed them, even as she scribbled the address on a napkin and passed it to Graves.

“Tell him, then,” Percy encouraged, tucking the address into his breast pocket after memorizing it, “If something is wrong with Harry, him showing up willingly to be executed is so much less work than breaking into Hogwarts.”

Abby snorted, shutting his eyes for a moment to hide from his amusement, “Gods, I’ve missed you.”

Smiling at the admission, Percy could admit that he’d missed the fae too, “You coming?”

The younger Dumbledore just nodded, already signalling to his apprentice that he was leaving. There was no way in Helheim that he was giving up the opportunity to see his grandson. If there was something wrong with that baby… Albus had better pray that there wasn’t.

As soon as they were outside of the inn, both wizards apparated to Little Whinging. Side by side they started up Privet Drive, looking for the house marked as Number Four; that was the only way to tell them apart anyway. Needing a distraction so that his brain didn’t supply him with every worst case scenario possible, Aberforth racked his thoughts for anything he’d heard about Percy in the last year to talk about that wasn’t heavy handed.

He didn’t want to bring anything up, if it was just going to make things awkward between them. The fae had to admit that it was nice to be able to easily fall into step with his best friend as if they had never been apart. For once in his life, Orion would have been proud of him for considering someone else’s feelings despite everything Aberforth was dying to know.

The vampire didn’t seem to have any such qualms now that they were alone, “Have you seen him?”

Abby froze for half a step, falling a bit behind the older wizard. Swallowing hard, he caught up once he remembered to breathe, “No. I asked Albus once to get me in the same room with him, but he blatantly refuses.”

The Director froze by the mailbox of Number Four, turning to look back at his friend, “Excuse me?”

“I asked him, but he just can’t,” The fae explained, “Lily was his baby. It’s not that I don’t understand, she was my daughter too, it’s just… It’s Sirius and I still can’t believe…”

“Why didn’t you call me?”

That startled the Dumbledore and he gaped at Percy for a minute, “I couldn’t… I mean, if my own brother wouldn’t help me, and James was more like your son than your grandson, and…”

“You thought I wouldn’t do that for you?” Percy glared at him for a moment before turning and starting up the drive, forcing Aberforth to follow him. 

The vampire was frustrated with everyone at the moment. He had one mate still sitting depressed in a castle shaped jail cell, despite the fact that he’d been offering to petition for the idiot’s release since James and Lily got married. His other mate had been ignoring him for going on eighty years now and had put their grandson in some sort of dangerous situation that had poor Jimmy risking self imposed exorcism to rectify the situation. And, now, he was realizing that his best friend had disappeared for a year, because he thought Percy was just going to shut him down the way the fae’s older brother had.

Sirius was his godson, God damn it. If there was any chance the boy was innocent, he’d beg, steal, borrow, and barter to find out what happened. The only reason he hadn’t was that he’d assumed either the Dumbledores already had and the news was as dastardly as his deepest fears confirmed, or they were fighting through the red tape and didn’t need his aid. It had honestly never occurred to him that Abby didn’t think he could ask for his help.

Marching up to the door, the Director pushed the doorbell with enough force to almost break the stupid thing. It was just after seven in the evening, so he wasn’t worried about the inhabitants being asleep. He just wanted to see his grandson safe. If anything were to happen to that boy… He’d already outlived his son and grandson, Harry technically being his great grandson, and he’d sooner be struck dead right there then outlive him too.

The door jerked open and a woman with short dark hair and a long face emerged holding a chubby toddler. She was dressed in a navy day dress with white polka dots, while the tot had a jumper of bright green on. There were no immediate signs of concern.

“Petunia Evans?” Aberforth asked her. He was grateful to have managed a decent button down and slacks today, as he didn’t look too out of place next to Percy in terms of blending into muggle London.

“It’s Dursley now,” She offered, “But Evans was my maiden name.”

“Of course, Mrs. Dursley,” Percy smiled at her, then glanced down at the blue eyed tot, keeping the kind expression on his face, “I’m Director Graves; I manage security for MACUSA. We’ve received a report of child neglect at this home and we take such allegations very seriously.”

Aberforth was surprised by that, but kept his face neutral. No one was better at their job than Percy, so he trusted the man to know what he was doing. He just hadn’t expected the vampire to whip out his bag of tricks instead of hard charging into the house for their grandchild.

The woman gasped, “We would never mistreat our Dudley! He’s our little angel!”

Her outrage over the accusation was enough to have the woman backing up and waving them into the house with her free hand. The fae fought the urge to roll his eyes at how easily the woman had been manipulated. There was a reason his friend had been the Director of Security for almost a century.

Percy stepped over the threshold and quickly took in the foyer. Pictures of the woman and an obese man, along with the chubby toddler, lined the walls and a small decoritive table. There wasn’t one image of his grandson and that automatically struck him as odd. Everyone in their family had pictures of Harry lining the walls by the time Lily got her second sonogram. A year should have been more than enough for Harry to have gained some representation within the home.

Glancing into the living room that was visible from the entryway, he spotted the two legged walrus from the photographs watching television. There was a baby pen and toys within sight as well, but no other child within it. His gut was knotting tighter than before.

“I’m sure that he is, Mrs. Dursley,” Percy barely kept the hiss out of his voice, “But our complaint was primarily concerned with another child in your custody, Harry James Potter.”

He spotted instantly when panic entered her eyes, “There is no child by that name here.”

The rage Percy had gotten down to a simmer sprung to a boil once more, “Lying to me is not in your interest, Mrs. Dursley. Produce the child or, I promise you, this will be the last time you’ll be able to see your own son again, until he reaches majority.”

“What the hell is going on here?” The walrus demanded, heaving himself up upon realizing that something was afoot.

Losing patience, Percy let his wand drop from his sleeve and stunned the bastard, watching him drop to the ground hard. He had diplomatic immunity regardless of what he did to them and the Ministry hadn’t been able to track him for decades; if he had to put the fear of God into these muggles to get his grandson, so be it. When his gaze returned to Lily’s muggle sister, horror wasn’t a grand enough term for the look that came into her eyes, but he only let his eyebrow raise, “Harry, Mrs. Dursley, now. This does not have to be a…  _ violent  _ encounter.”

She stumbled for a moment, then pointed to a small white cupboard under the stairs, “He’s there. Just leave us alone!”

Aberforth looked at the boot closet terrified. How the fuck could someone put a baby in such a place? Harry was barely two years old. He rushed forward, unlocking the prison wandlessly.

The vampire had glanced from the cupboard and back to her, then toward it again, honestly in confusion, before the reality struck him. Abby was already moving to open the door when his brain and bloodlust converged and a growl escaped him. Even in America the challenge of being an auror and vampire was ever present and he’d gotten used to hiding his fangs, but staring at the horse faced woman once more he felt them descend. The only thing that stopped him from going after her was a gasp from the younger Dumbledore brother.

He turned to his best friend and the woman had the good sense to disappear down a hallway with the toddler. Distantly he heard a door slam and lock. It wouldn’t really protect her, but perhaps could be a stay of execution. After all, he could always come back another day… G might even want to be here.

Aberforth was kneeling in front of the boot cupboard, so Percy quickly crouched down by his shoulder to see inside. The fae had already lit up the space with lumos, so nothing was left to the imagination. Harry was laying on hard and dirty ground, fast asleep with nothing but a torn and threadbare blanket clutched in his tiny hands. He had nothing on but a tattered and oversized shirt, which had ridden up to highlight his prominent ribs, all of them colored black and blue. His tiny face also had a busted lip and lightning scar on his forehead, which the vampire had only heard of until that moment.

The only reason that he didn’t slaughter the woman and her husband immediately was that now there would be no doubt just how much Gellert would want to take part in any such activities. His husband was losing his proverbial shit in Nurmengard, according to Percy's mating bond with the siren.

Casting a quick diagnostic spell, the Director growled at learning that the baby had several cracked ribs and a sprained wrist. Sharing the information with Aberforth, he quickly put their grandson into a Bewitched Sleep, so that the boy wouldn’t wake up before they could get him to St. Mungos. 

Standing as the fae started to pull Harry from the prison, Percy couldn’t help but think about his nephew as well. What if Sirius was facing horrors that he didn’t deserve? And all because Percy was in the States and believed that Albus Dumbledore was handling the fallout of James and Lily’s death in Europe. When the fuck had he started trusting someone who had ignored him for decades with  _ his  _ family?

Aberforth held his grandson delicately. Their first year with Harry, the baby had always seemed so strong. Everyone joked that he was hard charging for a place in Gryffindor and going to cause more trouble than the Marauders before him. Now, he just seemed so fragile, and it felt like Abby's fae heart was shattering at that knowledge.

“Can I hold him?” Percy asked after a moment, "I can apparate into the restricted ward of the hospital."

The fae quickly transferred Harry into the older wizard’s waiting arms, although he never wanted to let go. He would have loved nothing more than to curse the ball of lard still stunned on the ground, but knew that his wand would easily be traced back to the crime. Percy was immune to the Ministry, belonging to a classification all his own, but Abby knew that the vampire would let him return for their execution, if he asked.

“Do you think he’ll remember us?” The younger wizard questioned. It was always weird that he was younger than Percy and he thought that maybe it was time to deage. He’d appeared older than the perpetual thirty-five year old since they met after Grindelwald went to prison.

“I’m not sure,” The vampire confessed. Most magical children began developing memories around six months, so there was a possibility, but Harry had also endured too much. There was a long list of things that the Graves and Potter Lord didn’t want their grandson to have to remember.

The two moved quickly out the door, wanting nothing more than to get Harry out of that house. The Dursleys were only one such experience that Graves wished to God his grandson had never been exposed to and he hoped that with time the little one’s experiences here would be forgotten. He was so busy staring at Harry, as they started down the drive, that he didn’t notice their audience until Aberforth jumped.

Suddenly his best friend had leapt onto Albus Dumbledore and Abby was pounding his fist into the older fae’s face. Looking beyond the fight, Percy found that both Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall were with the Headmaster. Severus looked completely unconcerned with the fight, only staring longingly at his son, despite the fact that it was hidden behind horror at Harry’s condition. So, Percy felt little guilt for thrusting Harry at his father, before wrangling his best friend from the brawl with his big brother.

To be fair, it might have been more of a beatdown than a brawl, given that the older Dumbledore wasn’t fighting back against Abby at all. From the bloody nose and lip that Percy caught sight of, and all the blood that splattered across Albus’ face, dripping down his beard, the younger fae could still throw a punch. He was no match for the vampire whose headlock he found himself trapped in, but that was the only reason he stopped. Percy’s friend gave a few minute attempts to pull away at first, but largely seemed to deflate as soon as the Director pulled him off his brother.

Still, his breathing was ragged, so Percy encouraged, “In and out, goat boy. You know there is no way he could have known.”

Finally, even where they were locked above his head, Aberforth’s hands moved from fists to outstretched, signalling that he was finished. His best friend let him go and the younger fae twisted quickly to take in his brother and the professors. Severus was staring at his son mesmerized by the boy’s place on his shoulder, while Minerva was smirking at Albus’ attempts to get his nose to stop bleeding, running her hand through Harry’s hair.

Percy’s face moved to mirror that of the transfiguration professor, “I don’t know who taught you to throw a punch, but damn!”

Abby huffed as the vampire healed his knuckles, gesturing to his brother, “That would have been the genius, actually.”

That surprised Percy, he wasn’t going to lie about it. He turned and arched a brow at his mate, though they’d never spoken outside of their mating dream before this moment. Taking in the aged fae, he had to admit that Gellert was right. The wizard really was going for a second coming of Merlin vibe currently.

“There were only so many fights I could finish for him in school, before people started realizing it was best to attack when I was otherwise occupied,” Albus shrugged, cleaning himself up with wandless magic as the bleeding stopped, “He had to know how to defend himself, at least until someone could summon me.”

“Serves you right!” Minerva put in, glaring at her best friend, “I told you the sort of muggles they were!”

“You thought they’d be capable of this?” The Headmaster demanded.

She snorted, “No reasonable human being could have predicted this, Director Graves is right on that one. Still, you should have brought him back to Hogwarts last year!”

The fae had to give her that one, “You’re right. We need to get him to a healer.”

"We were on the way to St. Mungo's."

"Let me take him to Hogwarts," Albus flinched when all of them reeled from him in offense, "I know I'm the last person you want to trust with him, but he needs help. This is the fastest way."

Percy didn't like it, but he nodded for Severus to hand the boy over. When the Headmaster disappeared with a pop, they all were quick to follow and landed in a quartet at the barrier of Hogsmeade. The witch led the way up the path through a wooded area, but the dirt road was well worn. Her pace was brisk, but that was normal given the circumstances.

The vampire's parents were losing their minds across his familial bonds and he ordered them to Nurmengard to wait for word. Both vampires weren't sure who to track down and eat first, but one thing was for sure; there would be bloodshed. Across his mating bond he noted that Gellert was rushing to get a special release permit from Theseus Scamander and though Percy hated the circumstances he was relieved.

Despite having sent two sons to Hogwarts, he'd never actually been himself. The graduation ceremony only included parents helping their children out of the boats at the lake boundary, so he'd only seen that very limited part of the waterfront. It was a gorgeous castle, even in the near faded sunlight, and he could just imagine Flea and Jimmy causing trouble all over the grounds and immaculate structure.

It was after dinner, but too early for curfew, because there were teenagers everywhere. Some of the first and second years were marked easily by their sheer excitement and innocencence. But, only the older kids took note of him enough to ponder what was happening on campus.

A large man, who was part giant if he was a bit of anything else, caught sight of them and came over to investigate. The small gaggle of children left behind looked disappointed when they lost access to a pen of nifflers, but they disbursed quickly enough in his wake. He caught up just as soon as they made it to a stone archway with the school's shield on either side of the opening, "Professor?"

"Hello, Hagrid," She huffed and disclosed, "Those muggles were just as we suspected. Harry's being treated by Poppy."

"They hur' 'im?!"

"Yes," She hissed and gestured to the two men, "These two made the discovery after… I went to get a drink."

Percy couldn't help it and snorted as they passed through a massive set of oak doors, "Please, let's be honest. I interrupted date night."

"Unimportant," She insisted and attempted to wave him off.

Abby just smirked from his place behind her other shoulder.

Hagrid was still stuck on the revelation anyway, "But, Harry's jus' a lil baby! He jus' turned two!"

"Which is why I will personally be returning there and…"

"Now, now," His best friend interrupted, "You've got to show your face at work tomorrow."

They walked into the mediwitch having already cut the shirt off Harry and she was healing all the broken bones when he turned on his best friend to growl, "I quit!"

"Yeah, for twenty years," The younger fae muttered.

"No," Percy turned at the sound of his husband's voice surprised, "He's serious."

Gellert was flanked on all sides by Scamanders. Tina looked as murderous as Percy felt and she already had their letters of resignation in her hand. Theseus was in work mode, because he had to be if the vampire's worry about Sirius held even a breath of hope. And Newt was trailing behind them with his case, already jittery from the hostile emotions running around, stalking the room like a caged cat.

Or maybe that was just him.

Even when he didn't want it to, Percy felt his mind wander to how Albus was dealing with this melee. His anger didn't refuse the habit of consideration that Newt's presence conjured. He just wasn't used to the Elder Wand Conqueror being right there when it happened. 

A glance in the fae's direction and he was clearly about to go into an apathetic numb.

Having two bouts of the fae illness in less than a year was extremely unhealthy. Especially if Albus insisted on playing at an ancient wizard stereotype for little more than the kids' amusement. Though he thought it, the concern hadn't been welcome since 1899 and he quickly turned on his kids, "Get those letters sent in and then use my birth name to get me clearance at the Ministry."

"Done," Theseus offered, handing over a badge listing him with the highest clearance Britain had, while Tina used an extended niffler patronus to send in the letters, "But it doesn't go into effect until after 6:00am."

"I will meet you at Azkaban."

Abby turned to his brother demanding that he wanted to deage and Percy knew that they'd agreed to only do it together. It wasn't a good sign when Albus just nodded and didn't say a word though. The pair deaged and suddenly even the long time auror would have sworn that Aberforth was his brother and not his mate's.

Kid had scaled back to fifty; he hadn't been that young since he met Orion. Dark hair peppered with gray fell to his shoulders, even if he had it up in a knot given just a moment. And his robes became trail jeans, a midnight blue button up, and a black leather jacket.

It wouldn't be the first time that mistake was made though. In a restaurant or bar, many people had assumed that Percy, Abby, and Orion were related. Only by marriage had been their response for decades now.

And he knew Albus was a redhead, but the two really could have been strangers. Where Abby was only five-eleven, the Headmaster was only a couple inches shorter than Percy's six-five. If he were in any position, any at all, to let his libido wander, then it would have been gunning to know if he could bounce a quarter off that ass.

Scaled back to forty, he wasn't that young seventeen year old he'd been in their mating dream. He wasn't flustered from just having met a fifteen year old Gellert first, but the same insecurity still plagued him. Even if he didn't so much as move from where he'd been chewing on his thumbnail surrounding the transformation.

He just kept staring at the healer and gnawing. McGonagall summoned a bottle of potion and joined them in the process of losing a few years. And then suddenly they had nothing to do but wait.

Gellert wound up snaked around Percy's middle from behind, his silver blonde head resting on the vampire's shoulder, both of them tense like a tripwire. Newt dashed over to the fire fae who was like his father and tried to pull him out of the numb empathically. Though Tina helped as an aerial fae, it seemed to be largely under protest; his daughter had never thought his mates were prizes. Theseus' elf nature made him entirely too aloof to be of assistance and he stayed back to plan the next day with Percy, whatever the case wound up being.

There was a bench that Abby and McGonagall hauled Severus over to as soon as everyone had arrived. And Hagrid was fidgeting in the doorway nervously. Across their familial bonds Percy's parents were leaving Nurmengard to go get Harry put into their son and Gellert's custody, though his père had been loudly proclaiming that he'd been right all year since Gellert was getting in touch with Theseus.

Eventually he could tell that things were wrapping up because Harry was dressed in a warm set of dark transfigured pajamas, then the mediwitch was turning to head toward them. She was dressed in the typical pale green, bone, and auburn. Her hair was turning from an ashy blonde to gray, but her features were certainly fierce enough.

"Who am I answering too in this circus?"

"That would be me."

She appraised him, from the growl in his voice to the Liberator hanging off of him, before turning to her typical boss "Sure, leave me to the scariest one, even when you got to avoid him for a century."

Albus just gulped and it ended up being Gellert who responded, patting Percy's arms as he released his grip on the vampire, "A little less aggressive, please, pretty kitty."

The witch seemed to relax a bit with the siren between them and that wasn't an uncommon reaction from women in general. Not everyone reacted to his looming and direct tactics like Tina, with an eye roll and quip about him being a teddy bear, so he took a step back to let his husband talk to her. It all summed up to be that while Harry's damage had been extensive, none of it was so old that it couldn't be fixed, and she was able to release him to whoever would take custody.

Aberforth reasked his question about Harry remembering them and the witch admitted that it was as likely as not. She recommended sending someone who still looked the same to try and find out, so Gellert and him tried to decide which of them would go with her. Sad as it was, Sev hadn't been around as much because he was spying, and he'd been through hell the last year as he suffered through mating withdrawal, so he didn't look his best. Though Harry had gone to Nurmengard fairly often, Percy had always been following Jimmy home from work to see the baby, so he got drafted.

She pulled the curtain to stop Harry from being overwhelmed and then brought him out of the bewitched sleep easily. The two year old startled when he first realized someone was standing over him, but he must have calmed at the sound of a gentle voice. Percy couldn't see his little face for the blankets, not until he sat up at the woman's instruction, but when he did it was like looking right at his Jimmy at that age.

He rubbed tiny caramel colored hands over his eyes and his dark curly hair was sticking out in every direction. As his eyes darted around trying to figure out where he was, emerald green finally moved to settle on Percy. And when they did the pair lit with something like recognition, even as his little head tilted in both confusion and appraisal.

"Pépé?"

"Hey, Little Prince."

Instantly Harry was hurrying out from the covers to waddle down the bed to him. The healer, Madam Pomfrey, reached out just to make sure he didn't fall off, but otherwise didn't move to stop him. So, he just held his hands out and caught the near toddler that flew into them, before he peppered the baby's face with kisses.

Harry giggled, then proceeded to reach out and pat him, like he was making sure that Percy was real. After a few moments of doing it, the boy looked back up at him and threw his hands up like claws, "Rawwrrr!"

The biggest grin split his face at the order he hadn't received in over a year and he sat Harry back down on the foot of the bed, "Alright, I suppose."

Pomfrey looked confused and her brow pulled together, but there was little room for miscommunication when he turned into his animagus form, "Oh, well, isn't that lovely."

Despite the fact that she said it genuinely, his attention was on Harry bouncing on the bed and roaring again. Knowing what the toddler wanted he roared and the only response was him giggling past his tiny lung capacity. Being able to turn into a five hundred pound cat made most piss their pants, but his grandson had always played with him, having no more concern than he did when playing with Lily's grouchy kneazle mix, Leo.

He knew it was mostly adrenaline at seeing him and Harry would calm from it eventually, but he still enjoyed the absolute joy that exuded from the little one as he hopped from the bed with Pomfrey's help and jumped on Percy. His wampus form looked largely like any other American lion, a black coat with golden pattern, like an inverted jaguar, marking his body that was shaped like a cougar, and a dark curly mane with wisps of gold about his neck. His eyes remained blue, instead of scarlet, however.

Unless he used his natural hypnosis and legilimency from being a vampire; then they went the color of blood no matter his form.

Eventually he stopped playing, strone across Percy's back, but managing to look like something the wampus hunted given he was so tiny and the feline form so large. Emerald gem eyes shot up to him and it was strikingly like Orion eyeing him when his best friend wanted something; Lily got them from her father, after all.

"Nagyi?"

Percy chuckled as he turned back and picked Harry up off the floor as he did so, "You want him? But I'm the favorite!"

Harry rolled his eyes, before he set Percy with as serious a look as the tot could manage, "Nagyi!"

"Alright, I think he might be here to see you anyway," Percy told him, "In fact, I think there's a bunch of people who want to see you. Is that okay?"

Weariness suddenly bled into the boy's mental presence and although he knew it was going to happen eventually, Percy still hated it as he tried his best to express his fear, "Uncle Ve-non?"

"No, honey. Just Nagyi and Papa," Percy promised, "And Gingy and Gabby, and some of your old friends. You won't have to see the Dursleys ever again."

He knew Harry didn't really understand the implication of what he said, or even follow the whole of it, but he got the gist. Percy was saying it would be safe and he singled in on one word of it, "Papa!"

Madam Pomfrey pulled the curtain back and went to wave everyone in from the entryway. Harry jumped on his last remaining parent and Gellert in tandem, but the two were always closest and shared him easily. The boy seemed to have a thing about patting them, but once he had Harry squealed and laughed at the two playing with him.

All of them had known what was coming, probably from the minute that they saw the Boy Who Lived again. But, he was hoisted up on Sev's hip when he perked up and demanded, one tiny fist clenched in his father's onyx hair, "Mummy? Dada?"

The vampire, who hadn't even come into his inheritance yet at twenty two, flinched but pet Harry's hair and kissed his forehead, "They can't be here, baby. They wish they could."

There was no point telling Harry, trying to explain to him, that James and Lily were the ones to send them running for Little Whining to rescue him. They'd reveal that when he was older and it was a concept he could understand. While death wasn't a notion easy to explain to a two year old, Harry seemed to know he wasn't going to be getting them back like he was the rest of the family from the way he laid on Severus' shoulder and just cried for a minute.

It was enough to make even Abby's… They didn't claim to be dating, not when Orion had just been gone for not even three years. Still, he'd known the witch was practically married into the couple since he met them in '45. Point was that the lioness who'd gotten both his son and grandson through school felt the need to shed a few tears too.

Even if they were wiped away quickly.

When Harry sat back up, he seemed to recognize her next, because he pointed and hopped down from his father, "Tabby!"

His recognition made sense. The woman was decades younger than Aberforth, having gone to school with Orion, and didn't lose much to the deaging process except for a few laugh lines. She chuckled as he threw himself around her calves, even if it was watery, "Hello, Harry."

He looked up at her with a big, toothy grin and repeated in a varied tone, "Tabby!"

"Very well."

She transformed into her own animagus form, a tabby cat, and surrendered to the child's excitement. He grabbed her up and kissed her prettily patterned head, before hauling her over toward Percy as best he could, "Pépé! Tabby!"

"I see her," He acknowledged, trying not to laugh his ass off at the witch dangling from his hold, her back legs mere half inch from the ground, "Why don't we sit on the bed with her?"

Picking them both up, Minerva shook out her fur and then sat prettily across his lap once the boy was back against the pillows. It was Sev sitting on his other side opposite Percy and Gellert, so he was the one who finally tried to draw the Dumbledores into the conversation, "Do you want to say hello to Gingy and Gabby?"

Harry followed where he pointed and promptly looked at his father like the youngest Potions Master on record had lost his mind. His face was such a spot on mirror of Jimmy, when their son hadn't known if Severus was screwing with him or not, that it made the Hard Charger chuff and his husband burst into a fit of giggles, “Nuh-uh.”

“I will not argue like Dada,” Severus insisted, even as he huffed and smiled, "It's them. They just look different."

“Aww,” Gellert grinned, cleaning under his fingernails, “I miss five minutes of Jamie declaring 'Uh-huh’.”

He turned back to study the brothers, Percy supposed trying to figure out which was which. Whatever tipped him off, finally the tot pointed to Aberforth, though he was looking at his siren grandfather for confirmation, "Gabby?"

"Well, I've always thought so," Gellert grinned, "Never could keep his mouth shut."

"Gunning for a rematch, Fiend?"

"Please, you wouldn't know…"

They descended into bickering like they always did whenever one got caught of a firecall and the other was present, but Percy had never gotten to bear witness in real life. Albus looked torn between an eye roll and crying from his place behind them. The vampire could only imagine.

But, Harry nodded as they started in on each other, "That Gabby."

It was Albus' chuckle that drew Harry's attention back to him and when he glanced up to realize it the pair just stared at one another. The Headmaster couldn't help his amusement at the baby recognizing his brother by nothing but his big mouth. Stepping up to the bed he still took his grandson's scrutiny with a grin.

Harry shared a look with Minerva and then his head tilted as he stuck his hand out to the Headmaster, "Candy?"

Despite the fact that his mental presence was still a mess, that managed to make the fae laugh, even as he took out what looked like a lemon drop from his pocket and handed it over. The toddler looked surprised, then seemed to think anyone could have candy, so he appraised the ginger again, "Pretty bird?"

"I don't know if I'd go that far," Albus shrugged, "There are so many better words. Narcissistic, prideful…"

The phoenix in question burst into the room in a mirage of flames and feathers on the bedside table.

"...Obnoxious."

Fawkes squawked and flew over to Harry when the toddler squealed, letting himself be pawed at as he would for no one else, from his spot on Harry's other side. He and McGonagall shared a look across the toddlers lap. The boy didn't seem to remember the Scamanders or Hagrid, but they each got introduced and Harry instantly fell in love with Newt when he produced a bowtruckle named PJ from his jacket pocket.

Once that was out of the way they needed to finish his examination. With him as settled as they'd probably get for having been stripped from his family and left with the muggles from hell for a year, Albus was the one who moved to introduce their grandson to Madam Pomfrey.

Harry understood that she was the one to make him feel better and didn't seem to have any other injuries. She gave him a couple of potions to take, but he was no fool after she got him to take the foul tasting malnutrition potion first. Percy hadn't taken one since he came into his vampire inheritance at twenty five, as a precautionary boost following his magic changing so much in one night, but remembered it tasting like oranges and sand.

"Come now," She insisted, holding out the blue potion for dehydration, "It doesn't taste as bad."

Harry huffed and put his little nose in the air opposite her. 

The healer glared at her boss when he chuckled and held the look until he turned to their grandson, "Alright, take two more potions for Madam Pomfrey and I'm sure I have some chocolate around here."

A forlorn sigh from Harry was their only response, until he finally reached out the blue potion that tasted like salt water and downed it quickly, "Paddy right. Bibey make the word go round."

They all looked at one another as Pomfrey handed him a vial of Dreamless Sleep meant for children after he reached his hand out. Percy and Albus met eyes curiously. Understanding children wasn't usually a struggle for either.

"Paddy?"

"Bibey?"

By the time they exchanged the words again, Harry's hand was already sticking out toward Albus for a second time, because he'd downed the purple potion like a champ. Chocolate changed hands and Severus just laughed, for lack of anything better to do, because he knew exactly what his son was trying to say, "He's quoting Sirius. James used to call him Padfoot and his first word was calling him Paddy, much to Lily's incandescent irritation."

"Paddy?" Harry asked it this time.

His father sighed, but he pet Harry's little leg, "Maybe you can see him tomorrow, if Pèpe says it's okay. Alright?"

"Paddy! Paddy!" It was a cheer and then green eyes pulled back the twenty-two year old, "Moo-y?!"

"Tomorrow. Eat your chocolate," Severus instructed and that seemed to pacify the young boy for the moment.

All eyes were still on him.

And Percy rolled his eyes, "Padfoot? Sounds about right, given he called Jimmy 'Prongs'. Where in God's name did they come up with that shit?"

Severus snickered, though it largely sounded like just a hiss, and set Tina Scamander with a look, "You could just tell the poor bastard!"

Tina couldn’t even look up from the floor, but Percy recognized the shake of her shoulders as a sign of laughter. Realizing that Severus meant him, the vampire left the bed and wandered over to her, hands sliding into his pocket, “Tina… What’s he talking about?”

“Nothing,” She insisted, still staring at her shoes.

“Look someone in the eye when you want to lie to them, Tina,” He insisted, “I taught you that when you were ten.”

“Never worked better on anyone than it did your husband.”

Percy turned over his shoulder as quickly as the siren opened his mouth, “Not one word.”

Gellert didn’t like it, but he sat back to recline with Severus and Harry, who was watching the duo curiously. 

“Tina?” He arched a brow at her, “What?”

“Alright, I’ll talk…” She said before promptly moving over behind her auror husband’s broad shoulder blades.

“Oh, no. Don’t put me in the middle,” Theseus whined, “You know I hate being stuck in the middle.”

“A position far more to Tina’s liking,” Gellert rolled out smoothly.

“Hush,” Percy ordered, wanting to get an explanation sometime tonight, even as his daughter went onto her tiptoes to stick her tongue out at Gellert, “Tina…”

“James… Found his animagus form,” Tina confessed, “When he was fifteen. He wanted to see how long it would take you to figure it out.”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, he didn’t even truly need to ask, “Wouldn’t have happened to be a big old stag, would he?”

"Yeah…" She admitted with a grin.

Percy just scoffed and moved back to the bed shaking his head. James was truly their middle son, somewhere between his and Gellert's only son, Fleamont, and now their destiny to raise Harry. He'd always been showing out for attention and it was no shock he'd do it from beyond the grave.

"And?" Severus said curtly, shooting Tina a look.

His work wife of more decades then he cared to count tilted her head to the side, "And?"

His son in law just stared at her for the longest time, to the point that even Harry looked at Percy and Albus to do something, but they were as stuck in limbo as the rest. When the boy's father finally spoke, it was in a hissing tone, "He didn't tell you. Of course not."

"What, Papa?"

Severus seemed to find it easier to explain to Harry, rather than all of them, "Well you know how Pépé can change into a wampus?"

"Rawr!"

"Yes, yes," He waved the boy on, "Well, your dad and his friends could do it too. Daddy turned into a deer with antlers for brains, and Paddy turned into a mutt, and Pettigrew into a… rat."

"Mutt?" Harry asked innocently while all the adults were reeling.

Severus rolled his eyes at Harry not understanding the insult, "A dog."

"Puppy!"

"Truly more like a bit…"

"Severus," Albus scolded right away and mostly out of reflex.

“Just practicing.”

"A rat?!" Percy broke in, "And you pip squeaks didn't ask any questions?!"

The younger man flushed, a rare sight that Albus wouldn't take for granted for anything, "No."

“If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times,” Percy growled, “You don’t have to be a seer, if you use common sense!”

Tina just snorted, but then she popped up upon remembering how it all started, “What’s the quote?”

“Bribery makes the world go round,” Severus snorted.

Albus sighed, “Apt.”

Percy was stopped from whatever tirade he was about to go on by a party of six pouring into the Hospital Wing, soaking wet and looking for an adult close to curfew. Poppy took off, telling them Harry was fine once cleared by a mind healer, and Albus chuckled when the lot revealed that the Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain had managed to lose control of his broom after a rough pass and wound up a squid toy temporarily, before he asked them where they’d been playing and tipped everyone off when they heard his voice. It turned into a whole discussion about pick up games not taking place outside the Quidditch Pitch when McGonagall got a hold of them.

The Hard Charger would admit that he’d be hard pressed to go looking for a fight with that one. 

Poppy pulled the curtain dividing Hogwarts staff from not and he moved to pick up Harry to get them back to Nurmengard. Hagrid offered to walk them out and he just naturally planned to go back to Abby’s place to floo home. When Harry waved at one of the girls getting scolded on the way out, Percy could tell she had siblings because she waved and smiled big before going back to a sorrowful face much to Albus’ amusement.

And Percy just didn’t see the blitz coming until the fae threw his mating bonds open, so he could offer to let them use his suite. Or even just stay over… If they wanted to.

After a moment to shake off the shock, Percy looked to his husband for the younger man’s thoughts, but he just adjusted Harry on his hip, “I’m going to vote myself out of this decision.”

“I wasn’t aware that was how marriage worked,” Aberforth noted.

Gellert hissed, “What would you know about how marriage worked?”

“I could ask the same of you,” He noted with a laugh.

“Enough. Abby, stay out of it; it’s a mate thing,” Percy ordered, before shrugging, “Unless, of course, you’d like to take your brother’s side.”

They all looked back toward the Hospital Wing where McGonagall was pulling a quick one to get Albus and Severus out of there, “...And I will not have it again! This is not about social lives, but your safety. So, what we say goes. The next person on their broom outside of a class or the Pitch will find themselves out of Hogwarts before you can say Quidditch!”

“I’ll stay out of it,” Abby raised both hands and took off quickly to sit on the railing.

His girlfriend moved across to sit next to him on the railing, while Hagrid was just down a few stairs, and Gellert moved to stand with Severus on the next step up. His kids were behind him and Newt was on the wall of the hospital wing nearest the fire fae, who all but adopted him, then suddenly he was surrounded and facing off with Albus. The same mate whose mental presence was still a mess and who’d ignored him for eighty-two years now. 

Then the ginger pulled on his shirt sleeve under Percy’s appraisal in a nervous tick first identified during their mating dream eighty-four years ago and he found himself getting sucked right back in by Albus Dumbledore after telling himself for years that he didn’t care anymore, “Sure. Why not?”

"Proof there can still be something good in this world?" Abby suggested.

When he turned to glare at his best friend, the witch next to him looked confused, "Worried about your brother's honor?"

"Be realistic! Percy's honor, obviously."

He relaxed and Percy turned to Harry, who was droopy eyed on Gellert’s shoulder, “What do you think, Little Prince? Want to sleep over with Gingy and your father?”

“Uh-huh.”

It was slurred and mostly asleep, so they all split in the wake of it. Hagrid was planning to meet Newt the next day and McGonagall offered to let the Scamanders’ floo home from her place, since she had fewer people to settle, even as she pulled Aberforth along. While she broke for one staircase, Albus led them toward another, and it was suddenly like the day caught up to him.

He'd been going home at five when Jimmy used that blood flare and it was hard to believe that it had only been five hours. Probably hadn't been the best idea to load their tumultuous relationship on top of it all. Especially when they were getting to Sirius tomorrow.

Maybe part of him would admit that he needed to know. He needed… He’d been up for a week when his son set off that flare from the white light. Percy was exhausted and wanted his world realigned as soon as possible.

“If we’re staying at your place,” He started as they were leaning on the railing of the flying staircase, “We need to summon Cissy. I was just planning on bringing her to Nurmengard.”

“I’ll take her and the kids back in the morning,” Gellert put in, adjusting a sleeping Harry so he could be more comfortable, before his black and white eyes shot to Sev, “Can you summon her?”

“Of course.”

Scanning their mating bonds, Percy was relieved to not be the only one who just knew. They’d all known when the boys were born a couple months apart, but it had been easier to accept that Cissy and Sirius truly hadn’t been trying for a baby in the wake of the Head Auror being condemned as a spy. Now, they were back where everyone should have been the damned year prior.

A gargoyle let them access a silvery staircase and everyone followed the Headmaster upward. Percy wasn’t sure who the portrait guarding Albus’ home was by sight, but he put it together when the witch of fourteen’s depiction gasped, “Gelly!”

“Hello, Ariana.”

Knowing how loud his sister generally was, Albus shushed her and gestured to Harry. She was instantly taken with the little boy and wanted to know what had happened, so he gave her the password to get them moving along. The portrait didn’t take an interest in Percy until they got inside and she wandered into an empty frame by the door, “Wait! Who is he?”

“Ariana, this is Percy. Our other mate,” Albus introduced.

She gasped, “This is Henry!?”

He couldn’t help it, he laughed.

“He really does go by Percy, Ariana,” Gellert chuckled, even as Sev took off for the fireplace, "Religiously, as it were."

Percy snorted while taking Harry from his husband, knowing the siren would want to be there when Cissy arrived, “Hello, Ariana.”

“Hi!” She appraised him for a moment, before her vine colored eyes shot to Albus, “You and Abby have a type.”

The fire fae’s face lit up the same color as his hair and he shushed her. Everyone had already shed their jackets to be banished to the coat rack and he settled with Percy on the couch furthest from the fireplace, “We do not have a type.”

“The evidence suggests otherwise, Copper Top,” Percy noted, letting his head fall to the back of the sofa after putting Harry in a noise cancelling bubble, “Ironic how often we got accused of being brothers, given you three looked nothing alike.”

And that was rational enough. Albus’ thoughts strolled back to how much Percy, Orion, and Abby did look alike. They all had dark hair and broad shoulders. The other two had blue eyes, while Ori had green. Though they were different shades, the Headmaster could easily see how they’d be confused for siblings, "No, we didn't."

"You all took to a different element too, didn't you?"

"Mmhmm… I took to fire, Abby to water, and Ariana to earth."

“Kendra had my sympathies.”

Albus laughed, “My brother and I certainly gave her enough grief… She put up with us to finally have Ariana. She was the favorite.” After a moment he seemed to shake the thoughts off and met glances with his mate again, “How did you and Abby even meet? He’s never told me.”

Percy laughed and went to unbutton the shirt sleeve of his white dress shirt, both of them matching for having been at work before the horror show that had been reclaiming Harry, though he was careful not to wake the boy up, “I met him when I went to get this.”

Though he had to stretch across Harry to show Albus his right forearm, the Headmaster wasn’t truly surprised when he saw a deathly hallows symbol hand drawn in black with ‘For the Greater Good’ below it in G’s handwriting. Except for one feature it matched the identical brand that the siren had slapped on his left arm following the Triwizard Tournament Albus’ last year in school. That one feature, however, was that Percy had a depiction of his wand created overtop of the wand line of the ancient rune as a wand tattoo, instead of the Elder Wand.

There was also only one tattoo that Aberforth had gotten anywhere near 1945 and the realization made him roll his eyes to Percy, “You met the goat while he was getting his ‘my brother got off his arse’ tattoo?”

“Yep,” The vampire laughed, “Had a nice little bitchfest about how you and Gellert were the assholes and I could do better. He’d met a sixteen year old Orion the year before and he just grew into dealing with our pessimistic asses for a couple of decades there.”

“I miss him,” Albus huffed. His brother in law was always willing to help make sure that Abby actually kept talking to him.

“Me too,” Percy agreed, before he studied the fae and didn’t want to stay on a depressing topic. He wasn’t kidding about the fire fae’s mental state going to pot, “What in the world did your parents look like?”

“Well…” Albus laughed and pulled his Gryffindor throw off of the back of the sofa to put over Harry, “Ariana looked just like our mother from stem to stern. And Aberforth would rather die than say it out loud, but he looked just like our father.”

“Some pureblood maniac called him the spitting image of his father when we were at a bar on Broadway once,” The vampire noted, “Worst brawl we ever got into, quite frankly.”

His mate huffed, “A lot of purists thought he was in the right… Anyway, I was the oddball. Red hair nor sky blue eyes had appeared in the Dumbledore family for generations, just like the genie inheritance. Not since the Gryffindor lordship fell to my family, actually.”

Percy studied him for a few minutes, as the fae checked in on Gellert and Severus stepping back from the fireplace. Cissy was on her way and was packing a bag to bring Draco. They were all just wishing she was there, but the vampire figured, “I guess I’d better go ahead and warn you that my… Well, he’s my biological great grandfather, but my pere in all meaningful use of the word... He’s Lestat de Lioncourt.”

“You’re bloody well kidding me?”

“No,” Percy chuckled, “He went to get Harry put into my custody with my mamie… Are you going to fight me on that?”

Albus startled, “Why would I fight you?! No, of course not. This is all my…”

“No, it’s not,” Percy sighed and grabbed the Headmaster’s hand with his not holding Harry, “I thought… Last year, I was going to come back, but I thought you’d fight me for custody. And I didn’t when Severus wouldn’t back me in court.”

“Merlin’s bloody bollocks,” The Gryffindor and Dumbledore lord sighed, his other hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose, “I would not have fought you. Ever.”

“Okay,” He accepted the knowledge easily, but still looked down to study Harry fast asleep on his chest, “Albus, why in Mary and Morgana’s names didn’t you just sp…”

When he looked back up amid the question, the fae already had tears in his eyes, but Percy was cut off by the floo firing. Harry stayed fast asleep in his bubble, but the vampire still passed the small toddler over to Albus, before standing to greet Vinda’s granddaughter. At twenty-seven, the witch was still a silvery blonde version of the late Rosier heiress, and she was perfectly relieved to hand little Draco over to Severus before jumping on the seer.

“Thank God,” She declared, “I don’t know who summoned adult supervision, but I’m grateful.”

“That who would be James, actually,” Gellert noted as he kissed her crown and let her move to hug his vampire husband.

“Is he buggering me?” Cissy demanded, after popping a kiss on Percy’s face and him placing her back on her feet after a hug.

“No,” Percy chuckled and shrugged, “He said he’d ask for my help over his dead body. Turns out the boy was serious.”

Where his mates just snorted and went on with their night at the overarching way that described James Potter’s entire fucking generation, Cissy crumbled. Percy tried to apologize when she started crying. He’d honestly been making a joke.

But, she’d been isolated from them and stuck in Malfoy Manor for a year. Apparently she hadn’t even taken Draco for an inheritance test yet, though he’d qualified in June, because she was so afraid they’d test his parentage. She told them about a dark artifact that Malfoy had. A horcrux. And he claimed there were others like it.

She told them about how Lily had been using Reggie as a spy. Which Severus confirmed much to their shock. Apparently Lady Potter had taken exception to her father using one of her mates as a spy, so she’d started using her baby brother.

Then she claimed that James and Sirius knew Peter was the traitor within the Order of the Phoenix's ranks. 

They’d been trying to save him themselves. She didn’t know what happened that night, but she did tell Percy that Sirius had been having it rough at the Ministry by the start of ‘81. He was the youngest Head Auror on record, having been named to the position New Year’s of ‘79, and all anyone ever wanted to tell him was that he got the job because of who his godfather was. And the kid had been trying to deal with a leak in his department at the same time they were trying to flush out Pettigrew.

Several times one of his mates reached to comfort her, but Percy batted them away until she stopped talking, and even then he clarified, “Anything else, I might need to know?”

She shook her head, where the witch was trapped on the sofa between the Hard Charger and his husband, so Percy waved Gellert onto comforting her and turned his attention to Severus, “You have a heritage potion around?”

“Yes.”

The vampire gestured for Draco and his son in law hurried to get the required test. Where Harry was fast asleep thanks to that Dreamless Sleep, the blonde baby in his arms was wide awake and studying all of them. Cissy had collapsed onto the scarlet sofa with Gellert and Percy, but Albus and his son wound up in tan recliners with both boys, and the older baby grunted when pulled away from his study of the sleeping toddler. He quickly adjusted himself on Percy’s lap to see Harry again, before he tapped his mother and pointed at the other boy his age.

“Yes, that’s Harry,” Cissy laughed, “Can you say ‘Harry’?”

“‘Arry,” The boy tried.

“Almost. Harry.”

They practiced for a few minutes and then Severus was coming back. He’d also brought an adult and child version of Dreamless Sleep for his best friend and godson. It was just that sort of night.

Draco cried when they pricked his finger to test his paternity, but he took the Dreamless Sleep from Severus after being told it would make him feel better. The test only took five minutes to give results, but it was understandably the longest five minutes of Cissy’s life, and they let her pace the room to her heart’s content. Percy couldn’t say that he was shocked at what it revealed when the five minutes was up. The quill, though an old fashioned tool, glided smoothly over the paper of its own accord in a generic script.

The tot already drifting off on Percy’s shoulder was Sirius’ son.

Cissy cried again and they promised they’d get everything sorted in the morning. Harry slept in Severus’ room, because of course the Potions Master had a room in Albus’ suite, the Headmaster had all but adopted him after Eileen was killed by her muggle mate. And Cissy took Draco to the spare after taking her own potion.

Percy knew Sirius was innocent. 

Nothing else made sense!

His godson had been trying to get his son’s age lined up with Jimmy’s! They’d known Peter was a traitor and thought they could save the little bastard. The same son of a bitch that Percy had disliked from the moment his son brought him home.

Goddamn it straight to hell!

He’d managed to get down to his boxers, clothes strone over a golden chaise, before taking up residency by the window to glare out at the raging storm that he was probably causing. Albus managed to find a plain white t-shirt that they thought would fit Percy and he’d gotten it on, then taken up his vigil while the spoiled little brats were still arguing in the bathroom. There would be a discussion with Aberforth about his sympathies concerning the fae having had to put up with them back in the day.

He’d firecalled his best friend with the announcement about Draco, but the man was still with his witch girlfriend since they’d given the mother and son Dreamless Sleep. McGonagall declared loudly she’d known it all along and he’d passed along that Albus owed her money after ending the call.

When the terrible twosome finally managed to stumble out of the bathroom, Albus’ right shoulder was glued to Gellert’s left, and he couldn’t help the most genuine laugh at catching their reflection in the window pane, “Abby’s had nightmares about this.”

They didn’t even move apart as two sets of eyes shot to where he still seemed to be staring out the window, but he could see the moment both put it together because their eye rolls matched. His husband moved away first, heading for the door as he suggested, “We should hold him accountable to the rule.”

Albus turned the color of his hair in the reflection and Percy turned to arch a brow at him, “What’s the rule?”

“I’m going to check on the kids,” Gellert informed them, the door already closing behind him.

“I will see him in hell,” Hogwarts’ Headmaster said fondly and instantly the vampire was sure he was in love with someone who responded to Gellert’s antics with all the fondness he did, “I hope Fawkes claws his eyes out.”

Percy chuckled and hissed when he remembered they weren’t at home, “Can’t you just come to Nurmengard? I have cigars there.” No sooner had he said it then a large darkly colored Great Horned Owl came flying through with a box, “Bo Peep! Come to the rescue again!”

He asked if he could smoke in the suite and Albus waved him off nonchalantly, even as he studied Percy and his cigar. After a moment the vampire’s curiosity got the better of him, “What?”

“My brother is your best friend?”

That made his laugh out his first exhale and he wandered over until he was close enough that Albus had to look up at him, “I hate to tell you, Copper Top, but I am friends with your brother because I like him. It’s got nothing to do with you.”

“Of course,” He laughed and glanced down, left hand jetting to wring his wrist in absence of a shirt to adjust, but insisted, “I guess I’m just not used to anyone liking him.”

Percy laughed and inhaled again, before his gaze wandered downward, “Can I try something?”

“Sure,” Albus offered blindly, like he couldn’t possibly be surprised, and shrugged Percy off to boot. When all he did was touch the roaring lion tattoo on the fire fae’s shoulder, its mane scarlet and its body gold, he also seemed a bit incensed, “That’s it?”

Grinning he let go of the purring feline and moved off to resume his position by the window, letting the beast go back to roaring and explaining as he went, “Orion had a Slytherin tattoo for the same purpose and I knew I’d fit into that house. Jimmy insisted I had to touch one of their tattoos to prove I was a hat stall for Gryffindor! This came up; damn near every day at work.” Albus just laughed at the tone of derision in which he said it and Percy insisted, “I couldn't walk in a room and it came up.” And when he scoffed, it was with his entire body, “Even when he got his tattoo at fourteen I refused. Never did and… Spent the last year wishing I had.”

Albus must have been only a step or two behind him, given that he got the wall opposite him just a moment after, but the Headmaster's gaze was on him and not the weather, "I never spoke to you…"

He met the younger wizard's gaze surprised, but listened intently enough.

"Because I needed a few years after Godric's Hollow... But by the time Flea came to school, I was weighing my options on how to approach you."

"Opening your mating bonds never occurred to you?"

"Only once, we'll get there in a minute," Albus sighed, "He looked at me like I was Satan rising from below and I couldn’t even get near him long enough to have a conversation after he realized who I was. Not until he was about to go home for Yule.”

“That was my son,” Percy scoffed, “Could avoid a talk better than any mime I know.”

That made him laugh and the fae continued, “I found out he was worried about me breaking your marriage up and offered not to speak to you unless Gellert was there too. When he ran off, I asked if it was a deal, but I swear Percy that I didn’t mean it like…”

The vampire just laughed as he put it all together, “Making deals are magically binding for faes… Let’s see, so Flea was born on ‘04, his first year was in 1915, so my own son cock blocked me for… What? Sixty-seven years?”

Albus rolled his eyes, even as he huffed, “Sixty-four, truly. It hasn’t been quite three years since we lost him, but they’ve all been on us.”

Though he had to agree, the vampire still paced off into the room through an inhale, his shoulders refusing to relax until he turned back to his fae mate and exhaled, “We lost him after Christmas, and Orion and Reggie were missing, then Lily was announcing she was pregnant on mine and Gellert’s anniversary.”

“New Year’s day,” Albus sighed, “Then they were in hiding and there was a leak in the Order and… I’m so sorry.”

Percy just studied him for a moment, before returning to the window to put out his cigar on the wet stonework outside, “It’s alright, sweetheart. You didn’t mean to. I almost feel bad for all the times I screwed with you at work trying to make you talk to me.”

“You should,” Albus insisted curtly, a little color returning to his face, “You were relentless.”

That was true enough. 

He’d outright challenged and goaded Albus at Crisis Response Conferences and on response teams for decades just to amuse himself. So, he figured the other man at least deserved an explanation as he wandered over to the window’s other side, because Percy’s approach before he lost Jimmy was the entire reason his youngest son's approach to mating existed as such, “I just wanted to know why you couldn’t acknowledge my existence. What I’d done so wrong that you wouldn’t just talk to me…”

“Nothing! Christ, I…” His hands grabbed the longtime auror by the shoulders where he’d come to loom over Albus, “I’m sorry. It was never you, Percy.”

“Hmm… When did you try to...?”

“1926… When Newt wrote me about New York, when he told me…”

Tears pooled in his horrified eyes and it just took Percy a moment. It took him a moment to realize what Albus must have thought, the one time he’d closed his mating bond with the professor, after their husband had taken him prisoner in Nurmengard to impersonate him, “No. honey, no.”

Albus let himself be pulled into the vampire’s arms and cried, “I really thought he’d... “

“No, Mary and Morgana, no,” He hissed, “Sweetheart, he was never that far gone.”

“I know that now,” Albus admitted, sniffling, “But, back then…”

“We were certainly at our worst that couple of decades leading up to ‘45.”

“How did no one know you were alive? Until Theseus got his hands on Leta? How…”

He trailed off and Percy growled, hauling him over to the bed, and he pulled the fae down to sit on his knee, “I kept to myself and the other prisoners of war. I was pissed off and miserable. Flea would have been, but he found someone to play with in Credence, which at first didn’t have any real consequences. And then Theseus broke us out the day after you claimed Fawkes.”

“Please don’t do that again,” Albus requested.

“Promise,” Percy offered easily, figuring it would be easy since he never shielded from his bonds unless he was at work, and Gellert had sworn off kidnapping as a solution to marital problems. He even laughed when his husband finally came back from a conversation with Severus about Harry in the Potions Master’s rooms and shot him a dirty look at the thought, “He alright?”

“Shocked. Awed. Overwhelmed," Gellert offered a few apt descriptions before climbing into the bed with them, "Everyone will be better after a night to sleep it off."

“True,” Albus chuckled when the seer moved to get settled, G already well aware of which was his side. He started to get up off of Percy, but stopped when a large hand clamped down on his thigh. Even all he managed when he met sights with the vampire was to arch his brow.

“You never told me what the rule was.”

“Rule?” Albus had to think about it for a moment, before he remembered and flushed, “Oh. It’s that he who mentions Aberforth in the bedroom takes a knee.”

Gellert snickered behind them and Percy laughed, letting his fae mate go to crawl up the bed, “If I hadn’t been up for a week, I’d try to abide by that rule.”

“But you were,” His husband insisted right away, “So, it’s dreamland for you.”

Where Albus had his typical side of the bed and Gellert went for the opposite, Percy wound up smack in the middle of his younger mates to sleep. It wasn’t a bad thing, of course. Vampires didn’t give off body heat after turning twenty-five and coming into their inheritance, so he was thrilled to keep toasty between them, “Fine. But at least let me make it up to you tomorrow and come to Nurmengard?”

Albus huffed and agreed, knowing he’d already end up there to check on Harry after dinner, and maybe even Sirius. 

“I cannot believe the way this evening has gone,” Gellert noted, “When your children decide to show out…”

“I feel like they’re mine suddenly, because they were bad.”

The Headmaster laughed, until Gellert insisted, “The both of you really.”

“What am I to do? Object?”

Percy scoffed, “Let’s hope Harry has more sense.”

**Author's Note:**

> We'll be returning to Many Crossing Lines next and I'm thinking four more chapters there. We're going to see Harry's O.W.L year, his visit to Ilvermorny, seventh year, and then auror training/second round of Time of the Blood! See you soon!


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